Johnny Cash
Photo: Johnny Cash.com

Johnny Cash was remembered and mourned at a funeral on Monday in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just outside Nashville.

The ceremony for family and close friends was held at noon, according to a spokesperson for the music legend, who died Friday morning from diabetes-related complications (see "Johnny Cash Dead At 71").

A public memorial has yet to be announced.

"He was truly a great man and he will live on in all of our hearts forever more," read a statement issued by Rick Rubin, producer of Cash's acclaimed American series, the latest of which is American IV: The Man Comes Around. "Our challenge is to listen to music with the same passion and emotion he put into making it."

Scheduled to perform at the service at the First Baptist Church were Sheryl Crow, country singer Emmylou Harris and Kris Kristofferson, who composed the outlaw-country supergroup the Highwaymen in 1985 with Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

Kristofferson said Cash was "larger than life" and a "true American hero" in a statement. "[Johnny Cash was] beloved the world over as much for his kindness and compassion and championing of the underdog as for the power of his art," the statement read. "He's been my inspiration, my faithful friend, my champion — a constant oasis of unconditional love and support. His fiercely independent and free spirit, balanced with his love of family, children and his fellow man, will stand as a shining example of the best of what it means to be human. And he was damned funny, even in the darkest times."

Kristofferson, who authored Cash's "Sunday Morning Coming Down," closed his statement with a poem, in which he said the Man in Black was "always shining brighter than a star."

Cash's longtime manager Lou Robin and country music producer Jack Clement were scheduled to speak at the service, at which Hank Williams Jr., Kid Rock, the Oak Ridge Boys, Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, Randy Scruggs, Larry Gatlin and Dr. Billy Graham were expected to attend. Many of the same cast also attended services for Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, who died in May (see "Country Star June Carter Cash, Wife of Johnny Cash, dies At 73").

Although official public memorials have yet to be set, Cash fans have instituted their own means to memorialize a man whose tremendous career was based on testimonials to individual human spirit.

The flag flew at half staff and visitors signed a register of remembrance at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which inducted Cash in 1980. His plaque was draped in black crepe.

At Nashville's Ernest Tubb Records, which staged many in-store performances, a candle burned in front of the store on Friday and will remain until Cash is buried. The marquee simply read, "Johnny Cash, 1932-2003."

"The family of Johnny Cash, in this sad hour, is greatly comforted by the outpouring of love and respect for his remarkable life," read a statement from the Cashes. "We also take solace in the knowledge that he is again reunited with his dearest companion, June. Our lives, and indeed the entire planet, will forever feel the emptiness of his loss, but his music and the greatness of his spirit will endure."

The family asks that donations in Cash's name be send to SOS Children Villages, a charity Johnny and June began working with in the 1970s. The address is: SOS Children Villages USA, 1317 F Street NW #550, Washington, DC 20004.

To learn more about the infamous Man in Black, check out Kurt Loder's "Johnny Cash: Original Gangsta."

• Johnny Cash
• Sheryl Crow
• Kid Rock
• Emmylou Harris

T-Bone Burnett accepts the Album Of The Year Grammy for the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack.
Photo: CBS

If you're a real chart geek, we invite you to tune in Friday night at 5 p.m. ET for "Chart Attack," MTV News' weekly, in-depth look at what's charting where and why. Check out the Chart Attack Web page for more info.

In this week's chart and sales analysis, we take a post-Grammy gander at the Album of the Year victory by the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. We'll also review what such a Grammy win means in terms of boosting a record's sales in the weeks following the hallowed awards show.

'O Brother,' A Grammy Shocker?

Aside from Alicia Keys' impressive Grammy showing, undoubtedly the biggest surprise from this year's awards show came when the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack was named Album of the Year.

In winning the award, the roots and bluegrass compilation from the Coen Brothers' cinematic retelling of the Odyssey became just the third soundtrack to win Album of the Year, joining the '70s disco sounds of "Saturday Night Fever" and, more recently, "The Bodyguard" soundtrack featuring Whitney Houston and her show-stopping rendition of "I Will Always Love You."

Heading into the Grammys, most oddsmakers felt that U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind and Outkast's Stankonia were the heavy favorites to take Album of the Year honors, with a few hinting that Bob Dylan's Love and Theft might be the sentimental or "mature" choice of Recording Academy voters. In truth, we felt much the same.

When Got Charts? first sized-up the contest for Album of the Year back in early January (see "Got Charts? Making Grammy Predictions, Counting Crowes"), it was easy to see why Outkast and U2 were the favorites. At that time, the Atlanta rap duo's Stankonia led the nominees sales-wise with 3.79 million copies sold — 240,000 more than the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack and 490,000 more than All That You Can't Leave Behind.

Even though U2 trailed "O Brother," the Irish rockers were perceived to have a slight edge, as it seemed unlikely that the Recording Academy would make the soundtrack the second "country" LP to win Album of the Year. Glen Campbell's By the Time I Get to Phoenix won Album of the Year in 1968, but it was more of a country-pop crossover record than a true, dried-in-the-mud country disc.

U2 seemed an even safer bet following the group's emotional, spine-tingling set at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. After the performance, it seemed as though the Grammys would again be a "Beautiful Day" for U2. But that would be forgetting the SoundScan numbers. And the numbers never lie.

By the time the Grammys were handed out in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack had pulled ahead of the four other nominees, sales- and chart-wise. According to the latest SoundScan figures, "O Brother" has sold nearly 4 million copies to date and is holding strong on the Billboard 200 albums chart at #15. Those numbers were good enough to leapfrog past Stankonia, which has sold 3.81 million copies but is no longer charting on the Billboard 200.

Despite the Super Bowl bump that elevated All That You Can't Leave Behind back into the top 30, U2 have not been able to keep pace with "O Brother," mustering only 3.52 million in total sales. The other two nominees, India.Arie's Acoustic Soul and Dylan's Love and Theft, both lag far behind in terms of sales, with Arie at 1.16 million (#32 on the Billboard 200) and Dylan at 619,000 (#175).

Of course, it seems unlikely that Grammy voters could have known that the "O Brother" soundtrack would end up being the biggest-selling LP of those nominated for Album of the Year when they cast their ballots, but ya never know. Whether it was just a product of good timing or a happy coincidence, the SoundScan totals prove that the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack winning Album of the Year was certainly no fluke.

Following The Post-Grammy Bounce

Regardless of its unlikely Grammy outcome, there's one thing for certain: the "O Brother, Where Art Thou" soundtrack will get a sizable sales boost in the following weeks because of its big win. As past years have consistently shown, music fans tend to rush out and pick up a copy of whatever wins Album of the Year immediately following the Grammy ceremony.

Last year, Steely Dan's Two Against Nature had been off the Billboard 200 for six months when it was named Album of the Year. The week after the Grammys, it shot back up to #54 with 31,000 copies sold, a tenfold increase over the previous week. The win provided the LP with another two-month chart run and has helped the record reach the million mark in sales.

Dylan also received a nice chart boost when Time Out of Mind won Album of the Year in 1998, shooting from #122 to #27 after the Grammys. Dylan's rebound would be short-lived, though — Time Out of Mind slid off the Billboard 200 just a few weeks later. With more than 875,000 copies sold to date, Time Out of Mind remains the master singer/songwriter's best-selling LP of the last decade.

When The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won Album of the Year in 1999, Hill got caught in a rather unusual chart anomaly — her record sales increased significantly following the victory, but she actually got bumped down the chart. The week of the 1999 Grammys, Miseducation was the #2 record in the country (behind Britney Spears' ... Baby One More Time) on sales of 122,000 copies.

After winning Album of the Year (and several other Grammys), Miseducation's weekly sales almost doubled to 234,000 copies — but the record dipped to #3. The reason for Hill's unlikely one-step forward, two-steps back? The #1 and #2 debuts of TLC's Fanmail (which sold 318,000 copies) and Eminem's The Slim Shady LP (283,000 copies). Hill would regain her #2 footing the following week by selling another 200,000 copies, and the album has since gone on to rack up more than 6 million in sales.

The biggest post-Grammy sales bounce in recent memory belongs to Latin guitarist Santana and his career-defining Supernatural. The record was already #1 with sales in excess of 219,000 copies a week when it cast a spell over Grammy voters and won Album of the Year two years ago. In the week after its win, Supernatural enchanted 583,000 record buyers and held onto the #1 spot, a chart-topping streak that Santana would continue for the next three weeks, during which the disc would sell more than a million copies. The LP has since gone on to sell more than 10.98 million copies and stands as the sixth-best-selling album of the SoundScan era, nestled in between "The Bodyguard" soundtrack (11.69 million sold) and 'NSYNC's No Strings Attached (10.92 million).

So, if the recent Album of the Year winners are any indication, look for the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack to roughly double in sales — a move that could send the album into the top five of next week's Billboard 200.

Aside from the "O Brother" soundtrack, another album that should get a hefty post-Grammy sales boost is Keys' Songs in A Minor, currently at #20. Even though Keys' album has already sold more than 4.59 million copies, the singer's five Grammy wins could spur interest in Keys' accomplished debut from newer fans.

Of course, a lot depends on Alanis Morissette and her new record, Under Rug Swept, as we think it would take a Harry Potter-sized broom to keep her "swept out" of the #1 spot on next week's albums chart. Just thought that you oughta know.

[In SoundScan we trust. All figures, unless otherwise noted, are according to SoundScan's audited sales numbers and reflect sales as of press time.]

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Ralph Stanley
• Emmylou Harris
• U2
• Alicia Keys

Nelly Furtado performs "I'm Like a Bird" at Thursday's Women Rock! benefit
Photo: Image Direct

HOLLYWOOD — Mary J. Blige and Dixie Chick Natalie Maines rocked Etta James' "At Last," Nelly Furtado rocked an acoustic "I'm Like a Bird," and a host of female singers rocked the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women" at Thursday's second annual Women Rock! — Girls & Guitars breast cancer benefit.

The concert, taped for broadcast October 26 on Lifetime, was a four-hour extravaganza of collaborations that brought together leading female artists in rock, country, folk and soul.

"We're such a pairing of unique voices," Pat Benatar said after the show. "It's one thing to hear someone on record, but to hear them right up close like that is amazing."

Benatar opened Thursday's taping with a raucous rendition of "Heartbreaker" performed with Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks and newcomer Shea Seger. She followed by dueting on "We Belong" with Seger and showcasing her guitarist and husband Neil Giraldo on "Invincible."

"We wanted to do 'Invincible' because it's such an uplifting song about strength, and 'We Belong' because the sentiment is so beautiful," Benatar said.

Benatar and many of the other performers have close ties to breast cancer and spoke adamantly about Women Rock! and Lifetime's goal of raising awareness about breast cancer and finding a cure.

"My mother passed away from breast cancer two years ago," Giraldo said. "If she would have known about the awareness programs that are around and knew what to do, she would probably still be here. It was attached to her bone and it was too late to do anything. So it's very special for us to be here."

Seger said her mother dealt with a different form of cancer and that she had close friends who have faced breast cancer. "It's a hideous disease for women," Seger said. "Like what was said tonight, the ignorance about it is far more widespread than ignorance about a lot of things. This opened my eyes to learning about taking care of myself."

One of the evening's performers, Beth Nielsen Chapman, has recovered from breast cancer. Both Seger and Furtado, the youngest performers at Women Rock!, said they learned a lot from talking to the singer.

"Something Beth pointed out, she was saying that it kind of bothers her that people use words like 'battle' and 'survivor' when they're talking about breast cancer," Furtado said. "That's the problem. We're trying to remove the stigma from breast cancer, 'cause it's such a real thing. I'm 22. Young people don't want to think about breast cancer. They think it's their mom's disease. That's why I'm here. I'm trying to get rid of that stigma. Talk about boobs. Talk about examining your breast. That's what it's all about."

Furtado's tranquil version of "I'm Like a Bird" midway through the show garnered some of the evening's loudest applause.

"I love playing it that way because that's the way I wrote it," Furtado said. "There's a lot of elements to what I do, so it's nice to showcase different sides. One minute I'm rapping, and the next I'm singing and playing guitar."

The Canadian singer returned to the stage only for the grand finale, which included all of the Women Rock! guests sitting on stools in a half-circle and jamming out to the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit" and the Stones' "Honky Tonk Women."

The Dixie Chicks, especially Maines, were the evening's most frequent performers, taking the stage with just about all of the acts. Their highlights included a duet with Crow on her "It Don't Hurt" and the standard "Mary" with Nielsen Chapman and Emmylou Harris.

Blige was the show stealer, however, pacing the stage and belting out the title track to her latest album, No More Drama.

India.Arie, who was scheduled to perform, and Allison Janney of "The West Wing," who was scheduled to host, did not make the event due to scheduling conflicts, according to Lifetime.

• Mary J. Blige
• Pat Benatar
• Nelly Furtado
• Dixie Chicks
• Sheryl Crow

Alison Krauss
Photo: Rounder Records

NASHVILLE — Patty Loveless, Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Union Station and Norman Blake will be the permanent nucleus of the Down From the Mountain Tour set to start in late January.

Other acts slotted for specific dates along the way include the Fairfield Four, the Cox Family and the Peasall Sisters. The final schedule for the nationwide tour, which will likely last for about a month, is expected within a week or so.

Inspired by and featuring many of the musicians on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, the tour takes its name from the D.A. Pennebaker/Chris Hegedus documentary on the making of the soundtrack. A second album involving members of the "O Brother" musical cast, released in June, is also tagged Down From the Mountain.

Immortal Management of Santa Monica, California, is organizing the tour. Hal Paris, spokesman for Immortal, said that the troupe will play venues of 2,000 to 5,000 seats. Ticket prices have yet to be set.

Instead of providing their own backup bands, the tour's headliners will use a common band made up primarily of players from the Nashville Bluegrass Band and Krauss' Union Station ensemble.

The Cox Family's patriarch, Willard Cox, was severely injured in a traffic accident after the soundtrack was recorded and has been unable to tour since. Still confined to a wheelchair, Cox was able to make an appearance when the album cast played Carnegie Hall in June. Paris said Cox's condition when the tour gets under way will determine the act's degree of participation.

Paris confirmed that his company is also working on launching a series of all-day events for the summer that will feature, in addition to "O Brother" soundtrack performers, other well-known bluegrass and acoustic musicians. "We're not eliminating the 'O Brother' cast [from consideration]," Paris explained, "but we'd like to expand it much more."

• Alison Krauss
• Patty Loveless
• Ralph Stanley
• Emmylou Harris
• Norman Blake

Emmylou Harris
Photo: Atlantic

The Concerts for a Landmine Free World scheduled for Wednesday (September 19) at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, and Thursday at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., have been cancelled by the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. The shows were to feature Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, John Prine, Bruce Cockburn, Nanci Griffith and Steve Earle. A statement said, "In light of Tuesday's devastating terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation has decided to cancel its landmine awareness concerts. Our organization's focus and energies, and those of our singer/songwriters, are instead on the innocent people whose lives were taken or shattered by this week's vicious events" ...

Brenda Lee, the late Gram Parsons and Lynyrd Skynyrd are on the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot. Lee is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame; Parsons influenced a generation of country artists including Emmylou Harris; and Travis Tritt, Alabama and Hank Williams Jr. were among country artists who paid tribute to Skynyrd on the 1994 album Skynyrd Frynds ...

Dolly Parton says entertainers need to stay positive during trying times. "I think everybody is dealing with this tragedy in their own kind of way, based on what they feel and what their own fears and insecurities are," she told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "I'm a very patriotic person, but I also know that when things are at their worst that I need to be at my best." The terrorist attacks have stimulated Parton's creative side, she said. "I see how everybody deals with it, and I am able to write about their emotions. It allows me a way to express [sorrow], not just for myself, but for the people who can't put [their emotions] into words. It's very strange and deep places where I am going."

Alison Krauss has rescheduled her New Favorite tour with Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. The tour was originally scheduled to kick off in Cincinnati on September 12 but was postponed after the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. It will now begin September 28 at the Lucas Theatre in Savannah, Georgia, and will continue through November 11 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania ...

Wynonna Judd got a standing ovation for her emotional rendition of "How Great Thou Art" at the Grand Ole Opry Saturday evening. It marked her debut on the Opry. After the show, Judd suggested that her recent engagement to bodyguard D.R. Roach could last more than two years. "I'm thinking about around August or September of 2003," she predicted as a wedding date. " 'Course, I may just say that just to say it. We may get married next week. Who knows?" ...

Dolly Parton plans a $10 million expansion to her Dollywood theme park in east Tennessee. New features will include an interactive museum of her life. She also plans a $25 million Dixie Stampede dinner theater in Orlando, Florida ...

Country artist manager David Skepner died of a heart attack Tuesday while waiting on line at a gas station in Nashville. He was 63. Skepner managed Wylie & the Wild West Show, among others, and formerly managed Loretta Lynn and Riders in the Sky. Announcement of a memorial service is pending ...

Eddie Stoneman, of legendary country group the Stoneman Family, died Friday in Charles County, Maryland, after suffering an apparent cerebral hemorrhage. He was 81. The oldest child of country pioneer Ernest "Pop" Stoneman, Eddie Stoneman played banjo on his father's 1934 session for the Vocalion label. Visitation will be Wednesday and services will be Thursday at Hunts Funeral Home in Waldorf, Maryland ...

Doug Stone was erroneously listed on an early manifest of one of the downed jetliners. The singer reports he's safe at home in Nashville with his family. ...

Garth Brooks' press conference scheduled for Monday morning (September 17) at the Country Music Hall of Fame has been postponed. Brooks had scheduled the media event in Nashville to talk about his new single and upcoming album. His duet with George Jones, "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," was to be released to radio Monday but has been postponed "until a more appropriate time," according to Capitol Records. ...

Brooks was one of several country artists in New York on Tuesday (September 11) and stranded there following the terrorist attacks. Mary Chapin Carpenter was in town to tape the public television show "Live 360," which was canceled. Billy Gilman was in town for Monday's Michael Jackson tribute concert. Brooks had been in town to tape public service announcements for the Reading Across America program and had planned to leave for Washington, D.C., to attend an ASCAP tribute show, which was canceled. A number of country artists were also stuck in Toronto until flights resumed. Ricky Skaggs, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and others had been there for Monday night's Canadian Country Music Awards. ...

Due to Tuesday's events, the Oak Ridge Boys have postponed their celebration of the 20th anniversary of "Elvira" scheduled for Monday (September 17) at the Country Music Hall of Fame. ...

Lonestar will begin their I'm Already There tour October 6 in Salisbury, Maryland's Wicomico County Civic Center. The group will visit more than 30 cities before finishing in December. Jamie O'Neal will open a number of dates in October and November; Blake Shelton takes over opening duties in December. Announced dates include October 7 at Asheville, North Carolina's Ingles Food Festival; October 10 at Reading, Pennsylvania's Sovereign Center for Performing Arts; October 11 at Poughkeepsie, New York's Mid-Hudson Civic Center; October 12 at Buffalo, New York's Shea's Performing Arts Center; October 18 at Albany, New York's Palace Theater; October 19 at Norfolk, Virginia's Naval Base; October 20 at Jacksonville, North Carolina's New River Amphitheatre; and October 25 at Rama, Ontario's Casino Rama. …

Alan Jackson has been named opening-day headliner at the Texas Stampede rodeo at Dallas' American Airlines Center. Headliners include Jackson (October 25), Robert Earl Keen and Willie Nelson (October 26), Toby Keith and Sara Evans (October 27 matinee), Phil Vassar and Martina McBride (October 27 evening) and Clay Walker and Lee Ann Womack (October 28). … Connie Smith has missed a show for the first time in 27 years. The Grand Ole Opry member canceled three performances this month because her doctor directed her to rest her voice for three weeks. Smith began her recording and touring career in 1964. …

Billy Ray Cyrus underwent knee surgery Friday (September 7) in Nashville, but the operation won't keep him off the set of "Doc," his TV series. The singer's knee damage stems from years of stage and sports activity, according to a spokesperson. Cyrus expects to be in Toronto on Monday to begin work on the PAX series. …

Nashville's Broadcast Music Incorporated transformed its balcony into an outdoor Italian restaurant Thursday to welcome actor/singer Dominic Chianese. Chianese, who plays Uncle Junior in "The Sopranos" TV series, was in town to make his Grand Ole Opry debut Friday (September 7) and to promote his album, Hits, which was recorded in Nashville. After mingling with guests, Chianese mounted a small stage. He spoke wistfully of growing up in New York during the 1930s, hearing his grandfather sing to him and listening to an Italian-language radio station. "I got my first love of music from Grandpa Domenico and Gene Autry," he said. Chianese described his invitation to appear on the Opry as "the dream of my life." Although clearly a fan of traditional country music, Chianese made no pretense of being a closet "country boy." He poked fun at himself with a song called "Typical New Yorker," which appears on his album alongside other melodically gentle fare such as "For the Good Times," "Santa Lucia," "Guantanamera" and "Shady Grove." ...

"Unforeseen logistical challenges" have forced organizers to reschedule a benefit concert by the Dixie Chicks. Originally set for September 15 in Austin, Texas, the Texas Twilight Gala in support of the Pediatric AIDS League of Texas (PAL), would have marked the trio's first live performance of 2001. Shawn Colvin, Terri Hendrix and the Austin Symphony also were to appear. "The circumstances surrounding the postponement are beyond the control of PAL and the talent involved," said the organization's spokesperson. The concert will be rescheduled "as soon as logistically possible." ...

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers will present Garth Brooks with the ASCAP Golden Note Award at a dinner Tuesday in Washington, D.C. ASCAP president and chairman Marilyn Bergman will host the event, attended by members of Congress, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. The award recognizes Brooks' contributions to American music as a performer and songwriter. Songwriters Pat Alger, Alan Bergman, John Bettis, Hal David, Dean Kay, Jimmy Webb and Paul Williams will be part of a musical tribute to Brooks. Past recipients of the award include Elton John, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder and Andre Previn ...

Willie Nelson collapsed onstage during a show at the Konocti Harbor Resort in Kelseyville, California, on August 28, according to the Fresno Bee. Shows subsequently canceled included California dates on August 30 at the Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore and the Pozo Saloon in San Luis Obispo on September 2. A spokesperson for Nelson declined to comment and said the singer is next scheduled to play the Farm Aid concert on September 29, in Indianapolis, Indiana ...

Mavericks lead singer Raul Malo has scheduled October 23 for the release of his first solo album. Today will include songs in both English and Spanish and will feature a duet with Shelby Lynne, "It Takes Two to Tango" ...

Martina McBride and folk singer Arlo Guthrie have been added to the Farm Aid benefit concert on Sept. 29 at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. The bill also includes Dave Matthews and Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp. ...

Garth Brooks has scheduled a September 17 press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to talk about his duet with George Jones, "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," and his upcoming album. A Brooks spokesperson hinted the song will be delivered to country radio the same day. Brooks announced his retirement last year but promised one more record. The new track will appear on the album, his first collection of new studio recordings in four years (following 1997's Sevens). "Beer Run" also is slated to appear on Jones' upcoming CD, The Rock, now scheduled for October 2 release. …

Gail Davies says her labor of love — an album honoring the late Webb Pierce — is nearing completion and slotted for November 13 release. Profits will be split between the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Caught in the Webb: A Tribute to the Legendary Webb Pierce includes cuts by Dale Watson, Mandy Barnett, Charley Pride, Rosie Flores, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Robbie Fulks & Joy Lynn White, Allison Moorer, Matt King, Crystal Gayle, the Del McCoury Band, Lionel Cartwright, Guy Clark, BR549, Trent Summar & Chris Scruggs, Kevin Welch & Deborah Pierce, Billy Walker, Blue Highway and Pam Tillis. Pierce will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October. ...

Songwriter/performer Cecil Null, 74, died of cancer Sunday (August 26) in Bristol, Virginia. Null's most famous composition is "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know," a #1 hit in 1953 for the Davis Sisters. He was credited as the guiding force in uniting Chet Atkins and Merle Travis for their Grammy-winning 1974 album, The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show. Null wrote "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" in 1947. "It was turned down by nearly everybody in the business," he once said. Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette covered the song on their 1993 album, Honky Tonk Angels. ...

With the four additional 2001 CMA Award nominations he received, Alan Jackson moves past Vince Gill in the career-nominations tally. Jackson now has 50, according to the CMA, while Gill, who received none this year, has 48. George Strait, with two nods this year, remains king with 66. Jackson has a long way to go to catch Gill in awards won, however. Gill rules that roost with 18 career honors, Strait follows with 14 and Jackson is well back in the pack with seven. …

Merle Haggard's next album, Roots, Vol. 1, features his hero, guitarist Norm Stephens, who played on a number of Lefty Frizzell recordings including "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time" and "I Love You a Thousand Ways." Stephens has been retired from music for years, and Haggard recently discovered that they have long lived near each other in California. Haggard's pianist, Doug Colosio, noticed a classified ad Stephens placed in a local paper and called it to his boss' attention. After they reunited, they cut some songs. Recorded in Haggard's home, the album features Stephens with Haggard's band, the Strangers, romping through three new Haggard originals and songs by Frizzell, Hank Williams and Hank Thompson. Anti/Epitaph Records releases the LP November 9. ...

Lee Ann Womack has recorded a duet with Willie Nelson for his upcoming CD The Great Divide. They recorded the Bernie Taupin composition "Mendocino County Line." Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Rob Thomas and Kid Rock will also appear on the album, which was originally scheduled for a late September release, now moved to January. ...

A large crowd of music industry executives and artists crowded into the Country Music Hall of Fame's Ford Theater Wednesday for a preview of "Reba." The new TV sitcom, starring Reba McEntire, debuts September 14 on the WB TV network. At the party, MCA Nashville president Tony Brown said the company will release McEntire's Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor on October 23. The title track is also her sitcom theme and is now charting country. The album also includes a remake of Kenny Rogers' 1977 hit "Sweet Music Man," produced by Alison Krauss and featuring members of Union Station, drummer Jim Keltner and Chris Thile of Nickel Creek. Among those attending McEntire gala were Barbara Mandrell and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, as well as Martina McBride and newcomer Carolyn Dawn Johnson, both part of McEntire's support cast for the recent Girls' Night Out tour. McEntire donated seven costumes from her starring role in Broadway's "Annie Get Your Gun" to the Hall of Fame. The gesture, she said, tied together the worlds of Broadway and country music. The fringed leather outfit from the show's finale was on display during the party. "I want my fans to be able to see what I've gotten to do on Broadway by bringing a piece of it back to Nashville," McEntire said. "I'm bringing 'em home. This is the greatest place to display it, and I'm very proud to have some things here in the Hall of Fame". ...

Wynonna will marry her longtime security guard and road manager, D. R. Roach. Both have been married once before. Wynonna has two children, Elijah and Grace. Roach has one, Zachary. No date has been set. According to a news release announcing the couple's engagement, the proposal came on the second anniversary of their first date. Wynonna is at work on a new solo album, to be promoted by Universal Records New York. Plans are to release it in the first half of 2002. ...

George Strait plans to return to the biggest annual musical event in Texas, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The singer, who last played the rodeo four years ago, has agreed to headline the March 3, 2002 concert, which will be the last such performance in the Reliant Astrodome. Strait has also signed to play the first rodeo performance in the Astrodome's successor, the new Reliant Stadium, in 2003. The 2002 rodeo and concert series runs from February 12 to March 3. Country and pop artists perform daily. ...

Almost 18 months after it was announced, construction has yet to begin on a new Gilley's honky-tonk in Dallas. The new club is intended to be an upscale re-creation of the Pasadena, Texas, club that inspired the movie "Urban Cowboy." The new site, on 10 acres in downtown Dallas, is still awaiting city approval. Plans call for corporate suites, a large dance floor, several restaurants, two mechanical bulls, displays of country music memorabilia and a drive-in movie. The old Gilley's burned to the ground several years ago. ...

Trisha Yearwood will play Nashville's Ryman Auditorium October 14. The date was added recently to her 2001 tour, which began in June at the House of Blues in New Orleans and continues through October 21, when she plays Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Ryman has special significance for Yearwood. Aside from its country music connections, she was married onstage there, and in 1999, when the Grand Ole Opry returned to the Ryman, she was invited to become a member of the cast. ...

Singer/songwriter Bobby Bare and wife Jeannie will sell the Bobby Bare Trap, a shop in downtown Nashville specializing in stuffed animals and bear-related gifts. "Bobby's not retiring, slowing down some, but I am," said Jeannie Bare, who manages the shop. "I want to spend more time with my husband and children and my friends. I'll always love teddy bears." The Bares have had the Bare Trap since 1986. The store is home to "Big T," a 10-foot-wide, 10-foot-high creature purported to be the world's largest teddy bear. ...

"Red Desert Sky," the story of Australia's musical Chambers family, will be released October 5 by Allen & Unwin, Ltd. The family — father Bill, mother Diane, daughter Kasey and son Nash — performed as the Dead Ringer Band. The band's U.S. manager, John Lomax III, who now manages Kasey as a solo act, wrote the book. Kasey Chambers has recently been in the U.S. to promote her award-winning album, The Captain, which made its debut in 1999. In October, Warner Bros. Records will release her second solo album, Barricades & Brickwalls, in the U.S. Nash Chambers produced both projects. "Red Desert Sky" is not being published in the U.S. but will be available through Allen & Unwin's Web site and from Amazon.com. ...

John Carter Cash, son of June Carter and Johnny Cash, has produced two new tracks for an album by the San Diego alternative country outfit known as The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. Led by Mark Stuart, the group recorded the tracks at the Cash Cabin studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, north of Nashville. "Nowhere Town" and "Spanish Eyes" will appear on a re-release of the group's 2000 release, Walk Alone. The younger Cash met the band in March at Nashville's Exit/In. His father, country's famed Man in Black, has given the group permission to use his name. "My father has always been open-minded, and he chose the right stars to use his name," said John Carter Cash in a statement. "The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash are really good guys." The band appears Tuesday (August 21) in Bonner Springs, Kansas, and Wednesday (August 22) in Maryland Heights, Missouri, opening for Tim McGraw. Walk Alone will be released September 25. ...

Marking one his first public appearances after jail time and drug rehabilitation, Steve Earle appeared at Nashville's Bluebird Café in September 1995 to swap stories, jokes and tunes with his songwriting mentors Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. Sixteen songs from the show will be released on October 9 by Koch Progressive under the title Together at the Bluebird Café. Earle's songs include "My Old Friend the Blues" and "Copperhead Road"; Van Zandt's selections include "Tecumseh Valley" and "Pancho and Lefty"; and Clark's numbers include "Dublin Blues" and "Randall Knife." Making a surprise appearance, Emmylou Harris joined in for group sing-alongs. Van Zandt, a hard-living troubadour, died of a heart attack at age 52, a little more than a year after the show. ...

Trick Pony have two nominations for Billboard Music Video Awards, and they may not be too happy about it. The new trio will compete against themselves, as both their nods are in the Best Country New Artist Clip of the Year category. Others in that division are Cyndi Thomson, Clark Family Experience and Tammy Cochran. Nominated in the Best Country Clip of the Year category are Steve Earle, the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Jo Dee Messina, and Dwight Yoakam. Cochran and Billy Gilman are nominated in contemporary Christian categories. The awards will be presented November 2 in Beverly Hills, California. ...

Pieces supposedly from the wreckage of Patsy Cline's death plane will be offered for sale on the eBay auction site. Two brothers from Jackson, Tennessee, own the pieces, ostensibly from the wreckage of Cline's Piper Comanche, which crashed March 5, 1963, killing her and three others. Scott and Eric Mills drove the wreckage in their pickup truck to Nashville on Wednesday to show to curators at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Curator Mark Medley said the Hall of Fame will not bid on the pieces, to be offered on eBay beginning August 31 with a floor price of $100,000, but would ask any potential buyers to loan them to the Hall, which already has parts of the plane in its archives. The Mills brothers say they bought the wreckage from a man who collected it shortly after the plane crash. ...

Longtime Wilco member Jay Bennett has left the group, a spokesperson for the band told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Creative differences" were cited as the reason for his split. Shortly before the news of Bennett's departure, Wilco separated from their longtime record label, Reprise, also over creative differences. In an earlier interview, bandleader Jeff Tweedy had said that Bennett did not play a big part in the band's latest LP, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which Reprise refused to issue in its present state. Wilco begin a fall tour in September as a quartet, with Tweedy joined by bassist John Stirrat, new drummer Glenn Kotche and multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach. ...

Chicago roots rock band Wilco, favorites with alternative country fans, have split with Reprise Records after three studio albums, founding member Jeff Tweedy said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. Reprise asked Wilco to make changes to their recently completed album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and the band refused. Wilco retain rights to the album and are looking for another label to release it. Tweedy was a member of the influential early '90s alt-country group Uncle Tupelo. Wilco will begin a fall tour September 21 at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas. ...

— sonicnet.com staff report

• Emmylou Harris
• Gram Parsons
• Dolly Parton

Mary J. Blige
Photo: Jason Campbell

Mary J. Blige, Nelly Furtado and the Dixie Chicks will headline the second annual Women Rock! Girls & Guitars breast cancer benefit in Los Angeles in October.

The show will be taped on October 18 at the Wiltern Theater and air as a two-hour special October 26 on Lifetime, the network said Tuesday.

India.Arie, Pat Benatar, Emmylou Harris, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Shea Seger will also perform at the event. "The West Wing" star Allison Janney has been tapped to host.

Women Rock! Girls & Guitars, which is sponsored by Marie Claire magazine, is part of Lifetime's ongoing campaign, Our Lifetime Commitment: Stop Breast Cancer for Life. Proceeds from the event will go to the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations and the National Breast Cancer Coalition, Lifetime said.

Last year's Women Rock! saw Destiny's Child, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson, Cyndi Lauper and Amy Grant perform at the Wiltern.

Nine days after Lifetime's concert is filmed, Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins will host a breast cancer benefit show at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles with performances by Billy Corgan, Deftones and Sugar Ray (see "Third Eye Blind Frontman Plans All-Star Breast Cancer Benefit").

• Mary J. Blige
• Nelly Furtado
• Dixie Chicks
• India.Arie
• Pat Benatar

Emmylou Harris
Photo: Matthew Barnes 

Country music's surprise success story of 2001 continues to build and expand that success.

The double-platinum soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" became two concerts, a documentary film of one concert and a soundtrack of that film. Next, it's being planned as a national tour.

Patty Loveless is expected to join original O Brother contributors Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, Norman Blake and Alison Krauss and Union Station on a 20-city U.S. tour in January and February.

A concert by the soundtrack cast at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium last year was followed by one at Carnegie Hall earlier this year, though plans for a Hollywood Bowl show had to be scrapped due to scheduling difficulties. Nashville representatives of several artists from the soundtrack say booking agents are exploring tour possibilities and schedules for an outing to run from January 25 to February 23. No dates or cities are set.

Drawn from the Coen Brothers' movie of the same name, O Brother exploded the Nashville shibboleth that bluegrass doesn't sell. The album has dominated the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for much of this year, is #1 on that chart and is #1 on the Billboard Top Soundtracks chart.

The Ryman Auditorium concert last year was filmed for the documentary "Down From the Mountain." The accompanying soundtrack, Down From the Mountain: Live Concert Performances by the Artists & Musicians of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, entered the Top Country Albums chart dated August 11 at #10.

Building on a bluegrass revival, the group Nickel Creek's debut album has been a top 20 Billboard album, has charted for 34 weeks and has gotten extensive CMT coverage. Bluegrass AC/DC tribute band Hayseed Dixie's debut album has been on the Billboard country albums chart for 15 weeks. Country veteran Loveless' recent return to the music of her Kentucky youth with Mountain Soul has drawn glowing reviews. Also represented on the Billboard chart are roots albums by the Del McCoury Band, Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris.